Classes De Neige
by Banana Kisses
Summary: Cress is excited to have been invited along on her friends' annual ski trip, and even more so when she finds out that she'll be taking lessons with the handsome Carswell Thorne. But with nine loud friends in one cabin, things are bound to be less than simple. Now if only she could get herself to stand upright on her skis...
1. Chapter 1

Cress had never seen so much snow before. It covered everything in sight on the mountain's peak, and only grew thicker as they drove further. She didn't remember ever being in such cold weather, or around something so beautiful. It wasn't even until she had moved up north that she had known what a true winter was. Sybil had never been one for the cold and insisted that they remain in the south.

Inside Scarlet's spacious van, Cress sat snug along with five of her friends from school. Scarlet, along with her boyfriend, Wolf, babbled along in French, probably 'I love you's and the like. Cress couldn't help but feel a little bit envious as, all the way beside Cinder and Iko, sat the object of her affections since she had first set foot in Artemisia Prep. Carswell Thorne spent the length of the drive telling stories of his short time in military school and doodling in the fog on the window. Every time he laughed, Cress couldn't help but laugh along and hope that he didn't notice her blush. It was, as Iko would say, a heart-meltingly long four hours.

They were all on their way to Kai's cabin on the summit of La Plagne, famous for its amazing views and exceptional skiing terrain. Everyone in their inner circle had been invited on the trip, and with the help of her graphic design sales, Cress was able to pitch in enough to justify tagging along. Aside from Sybil's grand mansion in Italy, and her new home in Lyon, Cress had never really been anywhere, and she was excited beyond words to visit the French alps, in the company of her first and only friends.

It began to snow. Before long, the sky was grey and little flakes managed to keep Cress' attention from Thorne's pleasantries. Scarlet and Wolf finished their heated exchange and left nothing but silence in the car, which was more than unwelcome by Iko. It was to be expected that she and Thorne would quickly put an end to it. Thorne turned to the window, like Cress, and let out a long and obnoxious sigh.

"Ah, _La France_. It's even lovelier than in the postcards."

Iko snorted. "You _live_ here."

"For like a year. I'm a pure-blooded American, babe. This is all still new to me."

From the front, Scarlet laughed and peered at them through her rear-view mirror. "I think it will always be new to you. Americans aren't the most adaptable."

"Are you kidding?" Thorne scoffed. "I've managed to survive Louisiana and all the other places that my parents have dragged me to."

"Speaking of which," Iko rolled her neck, "how was Oregon?"

Thorne crinkled his nose. "I never thought I'd say that I missed the swamps of New Orleans."

"You hated it, I can assume."

He smiled. "I swear, they should've had a sign at the airport that said; 'Welcome to _bOregon_.' Or should it be _snOregon_? I know!" He leaned back again, crossing his arms. " _AbhOregon_. There was no sun at all; total storm weather."

"Oh, stop it—"

"Ahhhh, August in _pOregon_! Ain't it grand?"

Cress said nothing throughout this exchange, instead keeping her gaze fixed to the sky. She had seen pictures of Thorne's trip on his blog, and she couldn't help but wish that she could visit such a beautiful place. She thought of it more as _adOregon_. Cinder, unconvincingly, was trying to fake sleep in the hopes of avoiding conversation with Thorne. While Cress thought that he was dreamy and charming, Cinder was fond of calling him a 'charisma vacuum'. Cress knew that she was only along for the ride so she could see her own beau, who just so happened to be their wonderfully generous host. She tried to hide it, but Cress could see that she was eager to reunite with Kai.

"Have you ever gone skiing before, Cress?"

Cress glanced over at Iko, whose beaming smile caught her slightly off guard. Even though they insisted that she was more than welcome, the meek, shy girl couldn't help but feel like an outsider amidst the group of close friends. From enigmatic Winter to tense Wolf, it seemed that everyone had their niche. But Cress often had to wedge herself into conversations, and even then, she was seldom heard. She didn't let it hurt, though. She knew that she should speak louder. She knew that she should be more outgoing.

"Oh, no..." she sighed, rubbing her gloved hands. "I've never even been to a mountain."

Iko's blue braids fell around her lovely face, beaming like a thousand suns. She was enough to make anyone feel a little happier. "Oh, that's a shame! Well, we're about to remedy that!" She scooted forward a bit. "Scar! How long 'til we're at Kai's cabin?"

Scarlet's red curls bounced as she shook her head. "I'm in the process of finding it. It's not so obvious."

It couldn't have been, Cress thought, as she took in the sprawling village laid out in front of her. Posh chalets and condos spread as far as she could see, above which chair lifts brought along eager skiers and snowboarders.

"He told me it's the one closest to the red chair," said Wolf.

"There are three red chairs," Scarlet grumbled. "And the GPS isn't helping."

"I'll just call Kai; he'll come out and meet us." Cinder grumbled, bringing her phone to her ear.

Thorne put his arm around Iko and brought a hand to his lips. "You wanna go skating tonight? With li'l Cress. You'd come, wouldn't you?"

Cress' head jerked around, and she cursed herself for her sudden reaction. She was sure that her cheeks burned red. "O-of course. I'd love to." No need to add that she had no idea how to skate. It was not often that Thorne addressed her directly, and she felt the oh-so annoying butterflies in her stomach every time he did.

"Since Cinder certainly wouldn't want to come with me," Thorne winked. Cinder, with a scowl, batted his attention away as she strained to overhear her boyfriend's directions over Scarlet and Wolf's bickering. Cress looked down at her lap with a smile, feigning deep interest in her polka-dotted gloves. She would not reveal her crush, she swore to herself. But, as giddy as she was, she couldn't help herself from glancing at Thorne and admiring his chestnut hair, his defined jaw, his debonair smile.

Cinder got off the phone just as Thorne was about to catch her staring at him. Cress was quick to fix her gaze back out the window. "He told us to just wait here; there's a coffee shop down the street and I'm parched." Cinder clapped her hands. "He'll meet us there and show us the way. Sound like a plan?"

"That's perfect." Wolf switched off the GPS, much to Scarlet's irritation. She eventually relented, though, and quietly parked the car in front of a quaint little expresso bar. It was something straight out a travel brochure, and Cress was once again dazzled. She felt stupid for being so impressed by the slightest thing. Iko insisted that it was cute.

"Should we all go inside, or should some of us go wait for Kai—"

"Let's go, let's go!" Scarlet cheered. "I need some coffee myself, or I swear I'm going to faint." She licked her lips. "Maybe a croissant as well."

Cress shrunk back in her seat and watched the rest of the group get out of the car. She didn't want to feel defeated. Scarlet was never rude on purpose—she didn't mean to cut her off. Surely she didn't. Cress just wasn't loud enough, is all.

"You coming, Cress?"

"Hmm." Cress forced herself to stamp down her anxiety and forced a smile. "Just...just give me a moment."

She gathered all her things in her purse, and, as she wrapped her scarf around her neck, she noticed that everyone had already gone inside. She felt her heart sinking. She was much too slow, as always. She decided that she would just continue to be slow, and go out at her own ease, since everyone was already off without her. Nervously, she opened the door and planted her feet down on the icy pavement, determined not to let herself slip. As luck would have it, though, she sped forward as soon as she took her first step, and would've fallen flat on her face had she not been caught by Thorne. She looked up, met with his warm gaze.

Cress squeaked and forced herself upright. Through the flurry of snowflakes, her long hair blew free of its bun and whisped in her face. She had chopped it all off when she finally got away from Sybil, but Iko encouraged her to once again grow it out. It didn't help Cress' case that some of it was getting in her mouth.

"Need a hand, damsel?" Thorne laughed, with his wonderful smile and sparkling eyes. Cress took his hand, trying to force down her embarrassment. She could've sworn that everyone had already gone inside.

 _Great_. They had only just arrived and she already managed to make a fool of herself. Cress just hoped that she wouldn't be so bad on skates, or worse, on the hills.

* * *

 **It took me so long to finally write some Cresswell fic, but I hope that this would be good for Christmas! I love those two together, and reading Winter just made me ship them all the more. Please, tell me what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

"And here's the living room, where I hope we'll have fondue tonight..."

Cress tuned out Kai's long speech detailing every part of his parents' lavish cabin. She didn't mean to ignore him, but she was much too enamoured with the beauty and detail of every room to really listen to what he said. Every wall was made of wood and the floors were made of rich mahogany, over which rested lush rugs of varying shades of brown. The living room in particular gave off an air of unmatched comfort; skis and pictures of the mountains decorated the walls, while a fire gently burned in the stone fireplace.

"Is there a hot tub here?" Thorne asked, with his hands in his pockets. His hair was still slightly wet from the snow outside; he stubbornly refused to wear a toque. It was all the better, Cress mused. She loved seeing his tousled hair.

Kai turned to Thorne with a smirk. "No, we don't have a hot tub in a cabin in the middle of the snow." He rolled his eyes. "It's out back."

"Ahhh, that's one thing off my shoulders," Thorne sighed, stretching out his arms. "I'll need something to soothe all _this_." He gestured to himself.

"How charming." Cinder brushed past him with her bags in tow. "Could you maybe be a bit more useful and help me get the bags in?"

"I'll take some," Cress piped up, and Cinder smiled.

"Oh, thank you." She held out a pink duffle bag. "Could you bring this to Winter?"

"Sure," said Cress, draping the handle over her shoulder.

Winter was already tucked away in her room, since she and Jacin had arrived at the cabin with Kai a few days before the rest of the group to make sure everything was spic and span. It was only after they'd made the long drive that Winter sheepishly admitted that she'd left her ski stuff back at home. Cinder promised that they'd just bring it with them. The bag was a bit heavy, but Cress plastered on a smile and trudged her way to Winter's room down the hallway. She and Scarlet were sharing it, while the rest of the girls would be staying in the room next door. As much as she loved her, Cress wouldn't be the first to admit that she slightly dreaded Iko's messy tendencies, if her excessive luggage said anything. Perhaps it would be fun, though. Perhaps she, Cinder and Iko would spend hours doing each other's hair and talking about anything and everything. The two had known everyone else in the group much longer than Cress did...maybe she would learn something new about Thorne.

She quickly brushed away the thought and walked through the door. Scarlet was sitting cross-legged on the bed, barking into her phone. As Cress put Winter's bag next to the pile of others, she couldn't help but eavesdrop on Scar's conversation. She had left her pet husky under the care of Wolf's younger brother for the duration of their trip, and apparently things were already going wrong. She knew it wasn't really something to laugh at, but Cress had always thought that Scarlet's anger was more cute than anything. She wouldn't have dared say it aloud.

"Oh, thank you, Cress." Winter came out of the bathroom, tying her curly hair into a bun. "You can just leave that there. Is Jacin outside?"

Cress nodded.

Winter smiled graciously. "Still bringing in firewood?"

"He's like a lumberjack."

"Tell him to come inside. We have plenty of wood," she laughed. "If you don't mind."

Cress smiled and went off to do as she was told. Winter wasn't at all rude, and she was doing it by choice, but she couldn't help but feel like she was back with Sybil in the large, lonely house, being forced to do chores. By then, everyone had retired to their respective rooms to unpack and relax. The front entrance was littered with boots and coats; Cress made a little game of skipping around to avoid them all. She opened the door and poked her head out into the cold. The weather had only grown more abominable in the past hour, and the snow fell in torrents.

"Jacin!"

It took a moment for him to appear out of the blizzard. There he stood, with a scowl and an armful of freshly chopped wood.

Cress gulped. "Winter wants you to come inside. She says that there's already plenty of firewood."

Jacin loosened up a little, just a little, and came up the steps to the front door. Cress was quick to move out of his way and held the door open as he breezed into the warm cabin. Left behind, Cress slowly closed the door as she watched his retreating back.

"Thanks," he threw over his shoulder. She shrugged it off. Jacin was cold to nearly everyone; if he wasn't with Winter, Cress doubted that he would've even been part of their group. Humming, she went to the kitchen in search of something to eat, and of course, as luck would have it, was met with Thorne making himself a sandwich.

She stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart hammering, Cress tried to evade him and slip away to the safety of the bathroom. But Thorne noticed her and all attempts of escape were forgotten as he smiled. His suave grin was enough to make Cress' cheeks burn. He lifted up his sandwich. "Want one?"

"Sure," she said, tucking her hair behind her ear. She hoped that she didn't look as flustered as she felt.

It impressed her, how quickly Thorne was able to whip up a second sandwich. Within a minute she found herself sitting at the marble counter with a mouthful of ham, cheese and bread.

"I know we had something to eat back at the coffee place, but I just couldn't help it." Thorne swallowed the last bite of his own sandwich. "You won't tell, will you? People might start noticing my gluttonous habits."

Cress managed to hold down a laugh, and instead shook her head. It was all she could do, with her heart hammering in her chest. "Of course not. We couldn't have anyone saying that about you."

The dull thud of approaching footsteps made Cress' next words catch in her throat. "Guys! Did you see the spas they have in this place?!"

Cress turned her head to see Iko running down in her socks, holding an informative brochure in her hand. She silently cursed her interruption. It was the first conversation that she had ever had alone with Thorne, and Iko had to ruin it...

"Does one do deep tissue massages?" Thorne put his plate away in the dishwasher. "My shoulders hurt like hell and I want to be in tip-top shape for tomorrow."

Iko laughed. "In perfect shape for rolling down the hill. On your _butt_."

"Don't be so mean," he pouted. "It's rude to mock beginners."

Cress stood to attention at once. _Beginner?_ Thorne has never skied in his life, then. It came as a surprise to her; she expected someone who traveled so much to have have done everything there is to do in the world. "Will you be taking lessons?"

"Yeah. Much to my dismay, I'll be doing the green runs with whoever Kai hooked me up with—some Annotel or whatnot..."

The name made Cress perk up even more. They would have the same ski instructor, then. It took all of her willpower to prevent herself from swooning. Lessons with Thorne, whole mornings with just the two of them...well, with the instructor, too, but that didn't matter. It was like a dream come true. "I'm also taking lessons with Mr. Annotel," she sighed. "I'll keep you company."

He came to stand next to her. "Oh, really? Well, I guess that gets rid of one of my fears—I won't have to be alone with some stuffy old man."

Cress giggled and slipped off the stool. "Yeah, me too."

Iko put an arm around Cress' shoulders. "Oh, look at you two! Tumbling down the mountain together. It's love at first sight."

Cress flushed and forced down her anxiety and embarrassment. If she seemed uneasy, Thorne didn't notice. "Please. Just you watch; I'll be there to help the pretty damsel if she falls."

Cress blushed even more at the word ' _pretty_ '.

" _She'll_ be helping you get unstuck from some tree," Iko teased.

Throne crossed his arms over his chest. "You're wrong. Plain and simple. By the end of the week, I'll be a professional; maybe next year, I'll compete in the Olympics. Ski jumping sounds pretty simple."

Iko rolled her eyes and instead of retorting sarcastically, she blew a kiss in his direction. Thorne batted a hand and put the other on his hip. "Please," he said, sticking his nose in the air. "We'll show her tomorrow, won't we, Damsel?

Cress nodded, hoping to distract herself with a cold soda from the fridge. She sipped it as daintily as she was able. "She challenged the wrong pair," she said, forcing as much confidence and spunk in her voice as Iko.

Thorne began to walk away, much to her dismay, and he gave her what seemed like a salute. "If you'll excuse me, Damsel, I need to go see if I can get that massage. Are you still on for skating later?"

"Of course. And thank you for the sandwich."

Thorne's smile didn't fade as e disappeared around the corner. "Don't mention it."

Cress made her way to the couch and sank down onto the luxurious cushions, her knees weak. Lessons with Carswell Thorne. She could get closer to him than ever before, and maybe, just maybe, they could become the kind of friends that did everything together. She knew better than to hope that he would reciprocate her feelings; he could do so much better than a shy wallflower.

But, despite her reservations, she couldn't help but linger on how he had called her pretty.


End file.
